Showing results by author "Griff Hosker" in All Categories

The year is 1264. Simon de Montfort defeats and captures King Henry III of England at the Battle of Lewes to become de facto ruler of the country. Step forward Gerald War Bow, a man of humble birth but noble intentions, a superb archer and leader of men, and a committed servant of Lord Edward – the real heir to King Henry’s throne. So ensues a series of bloodthirsty battles, acts of bravery, and rescue missions, all in the name of toppling the treasonous de Montfort. Finally, Gerald and his archers find themselves at the edge of battle at Evesham.

The Earl of Cleveland has managed to put himself in King John's good graces just at the time when other barons decide to rebel. They seek more land and power. The newly appointed Earl is caught in the middle. When the Scots begin to raid once more, Sir Thomas is forced to rally the loyal knights of the north and repel them. Following the actual history which led to the Magna Carta and beyond this fast-moving novel moves from Scotland to Wales and Northampton and Lincoln. It culminates in the battle of Lincoln 1217, when the French army attempted to conquer England.

An only child of Anglo-French descent, young James Bretherton has known a life of privilege; well-educated and mild mannered, his path is filled with promise. But when James suddenly finds himself orphaned and penniless, his future looks decidedly bleak. It is only when Fate intervenes in the guise of two English mercenaries, that James is given hope. Embarking on a new life as a soldier, he soon becomes embroiled in the religious war between Catholics and Protestants, The Empire and the German States; the war that was known as The Thirty Years war.

When the Queen of England dies then King Richard suddenly changes. He wreaks vengeance on all those who have slighted him, and only William Strongstaff and John of Gaunt are in a position to curb his excesses. Beginning in the Baltic, where there is a crusade against the Lithuanian pagans, the novel moves to England, Scotland and Ireland before the owner of the crown of England is decided.

Erik is Norse but he was left in the new world when his clan returned home. He has to fight not only to protect his new family but his new clan, as hostile tribes try to earn honour by slaying the Shaman of the Bear. Forced to flee from their northern home, Erik and his family head south to the land of the Powhatan tribe, where he hopes to begin life anew. Before he can do so, he has to endure a voyage through strange and uncharted waters and fight enemies as yet unknown.

Having fought valiantly for Lord–now King–Edward, Gerald Warbow has settled into the life of a country gentleman. He has a comfortable life with a wife he loves and three growing–if occasionally irritating–children. Conscious that time is passing, Gerald devotes his time to farming and to training local archers, including his eldest son, Hamo.

When you live at the edge of the world with a volcano for a neighbour and bloodthirsty warriors who wish to end your existence then a voyage towards the edge of the world is possible. Seeking a new home for the Clan of the Fox, Erik the Navigator, with his younger brother and three companions, leaves Iceland for a land he does not know exists. In the smallest of ships, they face seas which would daunt any sailor, and they discover a new land. They find a home but one which is fraught with danger.

Thomas is a former slave who has become a gunner on a Spanish galleon. His life is no less parlous than when he was a slave but through courage and determination, not to mention more than a little luck, he becomes successful and joins Francisco Pizzaro as the conquistador conquers an empire with less than 200 men.

The British Army at the end of the nineteenth century was not a fair place. Despite the reforms, a bad officer could still ruin men's lives and Jack Roberts discovers that despite being a hero of Rorke's Drift, that means nothing when a superior has influence. He becomes a soldier serving in the Egyptian campaign where he learns not only new skills but how to deal with the new responsibility fatherhood brings. Throughout it all one thing is constant, he is a soldier of the queen, a redcoat with a rifle.

Alfraed of Norton is given the task of protecting the Empress Matilda back to the emperor, her husband. He and his men have to fight enemies, bandits and treachery from within as they battle thorough an empire that is a nest of treachery and political ambition. While princes play for thrones, Alfraed must keep the empress safe.

The tide is turning, and the forces of the Empress are making inroads into King Stephen's lands. The Warlord of the North rides south to help the Earl of Gloucester with one final push to dislodge the Usurper, but fate has a twist in the tail.

The Vikings on the Cotentin try to live in peace with their neighbours, the Franks, but when they are attacked they have to fight. Aided by fellow Vikings they begin to make inroads into the land of the Franks until disaster strikes and the new allies meet defeat. When the full force of the Franks descends upon the Haugr every member of the clan must fight to prevent their extinction.

The Black Death! England has won the war with France, but the disease which rampages through the land takes both rich and poor, warrior and worker. John Hawkwood and his two companions spend the winter in the north. It is in the spring that he begins to mould his company into a fighting force, and he serves the Baron Mortimer on the Welsh Border. There his men learn to fight as one, and John Hawkwood begins the change from archer to man at arms.

When Jarl Gunnar Thorfinnson is killed by Saxons and his wife and son slain it throws the clan on Raven Wing Island into disarray. Internal divisions and strife is only stopped when Siggi White Hair becomes jarl. A raid on Frankia gives Hrolf the Horseman a vision of his dream of a new home. When treachery strikes and the Bretons attack it seems that all of his dreams will be destroyed before he can make them a reality.

James of Ecclestone thought that when Perkin Warbeck was executed his days as a spy were over. He was wrong. Kings do not forget men who are useful to them and James was a master of his craft. Wanting nothing more than a life of peace with a new family James is thrown into the maelstrom of politics, intrigue and knives in the night.

England has a new King. Henry is the young son of King John. Guided by a Council of regents and the Earl Marshal he has a divided England to heal. When William Marshal gives Sir Thomas, Earl of Cleveland, the responsibility of making the young King a warrior, he sets in motion a series of events which, although they might begin to heal the kingdom will bring pain to the Earl and his family.

Sir William Strongstaff is dead, and the defender of England and its kings is no longer there to battle the French. His chosen knight, Sir Michael of Weedon, is removed as the new king’s bodyguard, and he is sent to France, where the king’s uncles are trying to finish the job begun by King Henry V. From the outset, Sir Michael and his men are beset by treachery and intrigue. The line between ally and enemy appears to be almost invisible. The struggle is not only for England’s crown, but also the French one!

Now that he has made a name for himself and shown his courage in battle Sven Saxon Sword becomes not only a leader in battle but also a target for others when he fights. Beginning with the Battle of Svolder when hundreds of ships clashed in the sea, the novel takes us through the maelstrom of war. Sweyn Forkbeard has ambitions in the west, where there is a weak Saxon king, Aethelred. Sven Saxon Sword and his foster father are part of the force that battles in Wessex, Cornwall and Kent.

Sámr Ship Killer has been rescued, but that is only half the story, for his family has been taken as hostages to Norway. Without any ships, he is helpless to find them, and then the sisters begin to spin. Erik Black Toe, who carried the standard for the Dragonheart, returns with news. The family is found, but in dire straits and cruelly treated by Uddulfr the Sly. The Clan of the Fox comes to the aid of the Wolf once more, and Fótr, along with Ebbe and Bear Tooth, sail ‘Gytha’ across the seas to Norway.

The incredible story of how a handful of men at arms and less than 5,000 archers defeated more than 20,000 men at arms and 20,000 other warriors. The story of how a king won a crown! The last time an English king had come to France, it had been led by the Black Prince. Now a new king, a throwback to those days, contemplated retaking what he believed to be his birthright!